When Google detached Photos and Hangouts from its social network, it sounded very much like the death knell for Google Plus. It would seem however, that quietly dismantling the service hasn’t been in preparation for shelving it, but instead to reinvigorate it. Google have announced the service has been reimagined. In their own words:
“We’re starting to introduce a fully redesigned Google+ that puts Communities and Collections front and center. Now focused around interests, the new Google+ is much simpler. And it’s more mobile-friendly—we’ve rebuilt it across web, Android and iOS so that you’ll have a fast and consistent experience whether you are on a big screen or small one.”
Though this redefinition of the network has surprised many, it presents an opportunity for us to revisit the platform to reassess its value. Its lofty ambitions when launching of rivalling Facebook were doomed from the onset and this particular failing diverted us from some of its then more useful features, including Hangouts.
Now that the emphasis is on Communities (a place to share content and have conversations with like-minded people about a particular topic) and on the relatively new Collections (a curation of posts, images and links about a particular topic), now is a good time to re-evaluate what, if anything, you can get from Google Plus. It could potentially be a great place for up-to-date sector news, or perhaps a place for peer support or feedback. Or maybe you might use it to create Collections of company achievements, stories or successes? Either way, this move by Google has signalled that Plus has life left in it yet.
